Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Friday defended the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement strategy, highlighting arrest figures and criticizing “sanctuary” policies in Illinois and other Democratic-led states.
Speaking in suburban Chicago, Noem said Immigration and Customs Enforcement has made hundreds of thousands of arrests since President Donald Trump took office, describing the agency’s focus as targeting what she called “the worst of the worst.” She accused Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson of obstructing federal immigration efforts by refusing to cooperate fully with ICE detainer requests.
According to Noem, Chicago has honored only 8% of the 1,664 detainer requests issued over the past seven months, a figure she said puts federal officers and the public at risk. She argued that sanctuary policies have “real consequences,” linking them to a rise in assaults against ICE officers, which she claimed have increased by 1,000% compared to this time last year.
The news conference included images of individuals arrested by ICE in recent months, including people facing charges such as child sexual assault and attempted murder. Noem framed these cases as evidence of the dangers posed by local governments declining to turn over detainees to federal custody.
Illinois leaders pushed back sharply. A spokesperson for Mayor Johnson called Noem’s visit an attempt to “stoke fear and division,” adding that Chicago arrests criminals but will not be “a tool for militarized mass deportations.” Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton accused Noem of using taxpayer money to “belittle hardworking people” who have lived in the U.S. for decades.
Outside the Homeland Security Investigations office in Lombard, protesters gathered before Noem’s arrival. Demonstrators chanted “ICE go home” and held signs declaring immigrants welcome. Some accused Noem of racism and objected to ICE operations they said targeted women and children.
ICE has faced criticism nationally for detaining people without criminal convictions and for officers’ refusal to identify themselves during operations. Noem dismissed these complaints, saying officers are always identifiable as federal agents and sometimes wear masks to protect their safety. She rejected reports that many ICE detainees have no criminal record, arguing that most have pending criminal charges or final orders of removal.
Noem described ICE enforcement as targeted, using case files to identify migrants with criminal backgrounds or deportation orders. Those who have exhausted their legal options, she said, “need to go home” because their due process is complete.
She also noted that more than 80,000 people have applied for 10,000 new ICE positions, which she said will help bolster enforcement nationwide. “For us, it’s about getting dangerous people off the street,” she said, emphasizing that the administration remains committed to strengthening the southern border and removing those it considers threats to public safety.
